Oloferne is a wooden schooner launched in Messina in 1944 at the Russo shipyards. Originally classified as a working vessel, she was used for around twenty years in coastal trading, mainly on routes between Sicily and the Aeolian Islands.
In 1975, Oloferne was used as a filming vessel for the TV adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, directed by David Greene and starring Tony Curtis and Richard Chamberlain.
She was later converted into a pleasure craft. The sail plan was redesigned, the keel section enlarged, and a deckhouse added. In 1992, a further restoration was carried out in Olbia with the involvement of specialised craftsmen from Torre del Greco.
Between 1995 and 1996, the schooner was used by WWF for the monitoring of the marine environment and the Italian coastline.
Since 2001, she has been employed for educational activities by the association La Nave di Carta, which promotes sailing as an educational tool for young people, focusing on prevention and recovery from social, physical and psychological hardship. A further restoration was completed in 2006. In 2012, Oloferne took part in an initiative promoted by Legambiente entitled The Migrants’ Route.
Oloferne is a historic vessel that allows for the teaching of traditional sailing techniques.
Her hull below the waterline is built with traditional oak planking; the topsides are in oak and teak, while the deckhouse is in steel with teak decks. She retains the stability typical of working boats, combining form stability with ballast in the bilge.
